Feeler actuated valve



April 20, 1954 F|FE FEELER ACTUATED VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1950 Irwin A. F7fe.

INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY April 20, 1954 FlFE FEELER ACTUATED VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1950 I rw/n L. Fife.

INVENTOR.

QMm/w A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FEELER' ACTUATED VALVE 'Irwin L. Fife, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,563

The invention relates to valves for controlling the fiow of fluid to or through a conduit or pipe line, and more particularly, it relates to controlling the flow of air to the intake line of vacuum controlled apparatus.

Although the valve of the present invention might well be put to other uses, it is primarily designed to be used in connection with a feeler arm which ismoved to a plurality of positions by some other mechanical force.

The valve of the present invention, together with its feeler arm, is designed particularly for use in connection with web'guioling apparatus for laterally shifting a roll of sheet material as it is unwound therefrom, or as it is being wound thereon.

In the present day art of guiding travelling webs, itis conventional practice to utilize vacuum controlled power operated mechanism for shifting a web carrying roll, so that an edge of the web will be properly aligned with a web receiving apparatus, usually consisting of another roll. It has heretofore been found practical to utilize electrical power for laterally shifting the web carrying roll, and to control the application of such power by vacuum pressure. In such web guiding apparatus, one or both edges of the travelling web or sheet is or are used for controlling the lateral direction in. which the web carrying roll is shifted.

The words vacuum pressure, as used herein, are intended to mean any pressure whichis below the current and normal atmospheric pressure.

Some conventional web guiding mechanisms pass the edge of the web flatly over an orifice plate or plates through which'air. must travel to reach a vacuum creating device. In such mechanisms, variation in the lateral position of the web edge acts to control the direction of roll shift,

andno valvev is used on the intake line of the vacuum producing equipment. In this case,v the web edge acts as a valve for controlling the ingross of air.

In handling some, types of sheet material; for

ieel'er actuated valveis particularly designed-for I such a use. 7

It is therefore the principal object. of 'the present invention, to provide'an extremely sensitive feeler actuated valve for controlling" the ingress 1 Claim. (Cl. 251-284) of air to vacuum pressure producing equipment.

Another object of the present invention, is to provide a valve of this class which is positive in action, and which will properly function over long periods of time.

It is pointed out that when once placed in service, a valve for thispurpose is almost constantly in motion, and therefore to be practical,

it must be so designed that there is little or no wear on its moving parts. It is further pointed out that, in order for such a-valve to be-actuated by the contact of the edge-of all types of soft or flimsy sheet materials, it must be highly sensitive and easily operated. The valve of the present invention has been designed with these purposes in mind.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings,

wherein: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the valve-and feeler arm;

Figure 2 is a perspective view looking at the other end of the valve;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view iliustrating the elements which go to make up the general valve assembly; and,

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the parts which go to make up the valve core assembly.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in whicl-i they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates, as a whole, a tubate cylindrical valve housing having be ends open, and having an internally threa inlet opening or perforation 3 through its ann wall. The perforation 3 is adapted to receive threaded end of a'pipe fitting 3 through wl air must travel in reaching the interior bore the housing.

Pressed into the bore of the housing 1, and rigidly disposed therein adjacent one end,'is annular metal ringt. Adjacent the outer edge of the ring 6, the bore 5 is provided with an annular groove 1 which is machined therein. An annular closure plate 8 having an axial threaded bore 9 is adapted to be inserted into the end of the housing I, and to seat against the outer end ofv the ring 6, A conventional split ring it of spring metal is adapted to be compressed; and snapped into the groove 1 so as to hold the 010- sure plates inseatedpositi'on against the ring 61 The reference character A indicates, as a whole, a valve core assembly which is adapted to be inserted into the housing I, from the other end, and which includes a tubate sleeve I I.

The outer surface of the sleeve II is provided with an elongated arcuate cavity I2 having abrupt end walls I3 and I4, and an elongated through slot I5 is located in the bottom of the cavity I2 and is co-extensive therewith.

The sleeve I I is further provided with an elongated arcuate through slot I6 having abrupt end walls I"! and I8. The slot I6 lies parallel to the two end edges of the sleeve II, and follows the periphery of the sleeve for approximately 120 degrees of its circumference.

As best illustrated in Fig. 5, the valve core assembly further includes a rotor or closure block I9 having its side edges 20 and 2| arcuated to form a working fit with the inside wall surface of the sleeve II, when the block is inserted into the bore of the sleeve. The block I9 is centrally bored longitudinally to receive, and is rigidly mounted upon, a shaft 22, which projects beyond each end of the block. A conventional frictionless bearing 23 is provided around the shaft 22 at each end of the block i9. The side edge 21 of the block it has a threaded bore 24 adapted to receive one end of a stud 25.

The first step in assembling the core assembly A, is to insert the block it and its shaft 22 into the sleeve ii, so that the arcuate side edge of the blocl: is disposed adjacent the inner opening of the slot I5 through the sleeve. The threaded stud 25 is then inserted through the arcuate slot it and into the threaded bore 24, and is rigidly screwed into the bore 24. It is obvious that when so installed in the sleeve iI, rotative motion of the block is limited by the distance to which the stud 25 can travel in the slot I5 before being stopped by one of its end walls l! or It.

The core assembly A further includes a bearing or closure disc 26 having a central through bore 2i for surrounding the shaft 22, and having a plurality of through perforations 28 for permitting passage of air therethrough. The inner face of the disc 26 has a cylindrical cavity for nesting the left hand bearing 23.

Surrounding the left hand end portion of the shaft 22 and lying against the outer left hand face of the disc 26 (as viewed in Fig. 5), there is provided a helical spring 29 having its inner looped end 30 anchored to the shaft in any suitable or conventional manner, for instance by a pin, not shown, inserted into a perforation 35 in the shaft. The other looped end 32 of the spring 25: is anchored to the disc 26 by either of two pins 3! or 33. A cover plate 3 3 is placed around the left hand end portion of the shaft 22, and lies against the outer left hand edge of the spring 29. Any suitable detent, not shown, may be used to retain the plate 3d against longitudinal movemerit along the shaft.

The other or right hand end of the sleeve I I is adapted to be closed by a disc 36 having a cylindrical cavity 3'! for nesting the right hand friationless bearing 23. In assembly, the disc 35 is pressed into the sleeve II so as to remain anchored thereto.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the right hand protruding end portion of the shaft 22 is equipped with a transversely extending feeler arm 38. The feeler arm 38 is preferably composed of a sleeve portion 39 adapted to surround the shaft, a setscrew to for retaining the sleeve portion 39 on theshaft 22, and an elongated blade portion II rigidly carried by the sleeve portion 39. When the core assembly is thus assembled, it is thrust into the bore of the valve housing I through the open right hand end thereof. When so positioned in the housing I, the left hand end of the sleeve II rests against the right hand end of the ring 6, and the extreme left hand portion of the shaft 22 terminates short of the inner end of the central bore 9 of the closure plate 8.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the arcuate slot in the sleeve II is so positioned that when the stud 25 is in contact with the end wall H, the inlet slot I5 is barely closed, and the least counter clock-wise movement of the block or core I9, as viewed in Fig. 3, will partially open the slot. Very little further counter clock-wise movement of the core I9 will fully open the slot I5. It is pointed out that since the slot I5 is elongated, and the core I9 is of greater length and moves across it, very little lateral swinging movement of the core across the slot is necessary to admit ;a considerable amount of air through the slot. It is further pointed out that since the core is in a shearing position with relation to the slot i5, and since the core is symmetrical and sensi tively balanced, very little moving power need he applied to the arm 38 to open or close the slot It.

It will be noted that the housing I is eccentri cally bored. While this feature is preferable in order to obtain a thicker Wall at the inlet open-- ing 3, it is not mandatory.

In operation, the valve housing with its associated and assembled parts is rigidly mounted adjacent one edge of the traveling web or sheet, in such a position that the arm 38 lies just outside of the desired path of such sheet edge. The sheet is indicated by the reference numeral 45 (Fig. 3) The intake pipe of a vacuum pump, not shown, is connected to the threaded bore 9 of the clos e plate 8 by a suitable fitting 44 (Fig. 1). When the housing is so mounted, the spring 29 acts hold the core E9 in a radial position to close slot i5 against the entry of air therethrough. Should the traveling sheet edge thereafter shift toward the arm 38, as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 3, the arm 38 will be swung laterally to the solid line position of Fig. 3, and the core it will be moved in a left hand direction to partially .open the orifice slot 55, as also shown in solid lines in said Fig. 3. Further right hand motion of the :edge of the sheet 45 will act to fully open the orifice slot I5, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It will be understood, that a mechanical roll shifting apparatus, not shown, will be actuated to move the roll of sheet material or web in a left hand direction, as soon as air is permitted to pass through the slot i5. Such left hand movement of the web carrying or guiding roll will similarly shift the edge of the sheet 45 in a left hand direction (Fig. 3), which will permit the core I9 to return to its slot closing position.

One of the valve assemblies of the present invention, if found desirable, may be installed asljacent each side edge of the sheet 45.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I limited by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a valve, the combination with a hollow cylindrical housing having a lateral inlet, and having an outlet in one end, of a valve core assembly within said housing, said assembly including: a tubular sleeve within the housing and having an exterior concavity coinciding with the inner end of said inlet; an elongated through slot in the wall of said sleeve and communicating with said concavity; a rock-shaft journalled for partial rotation in said sleeve; a closure block coactive with the shaft and adapted to move transversely across said slot to open and close the same; means for limiting the rocking movement of the shaft and block; a spring urging the shaft in one rotative direction; and means for closing the two ends of the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 394,992 1,002,156 1,169,118 1,339,826 1,499,446 10 1,638,325 2,016,801 2,202,216

Number 121,313

Name Date Parvin Dec. 25, 1888 Kay Aug. 29, 1911 Brehmer Jan. 25, 1916 Hunter May 11, 1920 Code July 1, 1924 Davis Aug. 9, 1927 Duncan Oct. 8, 1935 Madsen May 28, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Aug. 1, 1927 

